


Skinny Dipping

by see_me_not



Category: Free!
Genre: Dare, F/M, Fluff, POV First Person, POV Third Person, Skinny Dipping, Teenage Thoughts, Teenagers, Truth or Dare
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-23
Updated: 2017-08-23
Packaged: 2018-12-18 23:28:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11885100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/see_me_not/pseuds/see_me_not
Summary: When Emiko agreed to spending the night with Gou, she didn't think it'd land her in Samezuka Academy, on a diving board, stark nude. It couldn't get any worse, right? Then in walks Matsuoka Rin, the guy she harbors a little crush on. Great! Now Emiko finds herself naked, swimming in a pool with her crush standing right in front of her! It seriously can't get much worse than that, right? Right?!





	Skinny Dipping

**Author's Note:**

> I was rummaging through my old files and found this. Figured it was better to post it than let it sit collecting more dust. Let me know what you think :)

Skinny Dipping // Rin Matsuoka One Shot 

 

I can’t believe I’m doing this. I cannot believe I am _doing_ this!

Letting out a shaky, inaudible breath, I grabbed the hem of my shirt and, with trembling hands, lifted it up. Pivoting at the waist, I tossed my shirt behind me. It landed a few feet in front of my good friend Gou who currently had her hands pressed against her lips in a failed attempt to stifle her giggles. I gave her a pleading look, silently begging her to spare me, to tell me that I didn’t have to go through with this and let me off the hook. But as I stared into her mirth filled eyes, a sort of sadistic glint shinning in the ruby irises, I knew she wouldn’t grant me any mercy.

I huffed in defeat and anxiety and swiveled forward again. My arms wrapped self-consciously around my stomach as I stared out across the clear blue water. The Samezuka Academy definitely lived up to their prestigious reputation if this gigantic pool was any proof. The dim lights overhead cast shadows along the walls and floors while bouncing lightly off of the water, giving it a mysterious and enthralling aura. Gou’s titters seemed to bounce off the white tiles, echoing around the large, long room. There was a slight chill to the air, causing the faintest of goosebumps to rise on my exposed skin.

Inhaling deeply, I forced myself to kick off my shoes. Slipping out of my socks, I tossed them along with my discarded shoes in Gou’s direction. She dutifully scooped up my growing pile of clothes, a vicious smirk furling onto her face. I hesitated then, my fingers inches away from my jeans’ button. Staring down at the denim, I took a deep breath in and out. I closed my eyes and tilted my chin up to the ceiling, my mind running a mile a minute before I unbuttoned my pants, pulled down the zipper and dragged my jeans down my legs in one swift motion so as to not talk myself out of it. I stepped out of the pants before precariously tossing them over my shoulder. A loud _oomph!_ sounded from behind me, letting me know that Gou had caught them, or they more likely hit her in the face but I couldn’t bring myself to feel apologetic at the moment.

Fluttering my eyes open, I looked back towards the pool, taking in the sight. I took a couple of slow, cautious steps forward, my breath getting heavier with every step. I stopped in front of one of the platforms for a second before stepping onto it, my bare feet slapping quietly against the surface.

I looked over my shoulder at my friend again, giving her a desperate look. She cocked her head to the side cheekily at me before gesturing me forward, calling, “Go on Emi- _chan_! Don’t be a scaredy-cat! You can’t back out of the dare, remember?”

An exasperated sigh escaped my lips as I shot her one last pleading glance. When she continued to gaze at me expectantly, I turned back around and nervously bit my bottom lip. My eyes darted down to the undergarments, and, feeling very uneasy, I slowly brought my quivering hands behind my back and unclasped my bra. I gradually pulled the straps down my arm. Attempting to cover as much of my bosom as I could with one arm, I forced my other hand to throw my bra behind me.

I stood there on the platform, arms crossed over my chest, my panties the only thing left on my body. Taking in shaky breath after shaky breath, my head buzzed with excuses to get out of this situation, even though I perfectly well knew that it was useless. I was stuck in this position and there was nothing I could do to change that. After all, a dare is a dare, and if I don’t do it, I’ll have to do something way worse. I wouldn’t put it past Gou to force me to wear some skimpy bikini to the next Iwatobi swim practice or something ten times more horrid. Who knew the girl had such a sadistic side to her?

“Come on Emi- _chan_! We don’t have all day!” Gou’s echoed call snatched me away from my thoughts. Giving an inconspicuous jump, I nervously removed my arms from their stiff position against my chest and reached down to my panties. I hooked my fingers into the waistband of the silky fabric and, with a heavy exhale; I shoved them down my legs. Quickly stepping out of them, I flung them over my shoulder, the sound of Gou’s cackling reverberating harshly in my ears.

Everything seemed to be heightened: the sound of the water lapping at the walls, Gou’s laughter, the breeze from the air conditioning against my bare flesh, the hard surface of the platform under my feet, everything. I stepped up to the edge of the diving platform, my toes curling along it in fear. My chest heaved in anxiety, my stomach filled to the brim with eager butterflies flapping their wings at high speed, my brain pounding against my skull. I stared down at the water, anticipating its cool touch on my naked form.

Why did I let Gou trick me into this? It had all started off as a simple game of truth or dare. I was staying at her house for the night. She had been begging me for a sleepover all week, saying that even though she cared immensely about the boys, she needed some girl time. And who would better understand than the only other girl on the swim team?

I ended up agreeing because quite frankly she was right: we did need some girl time. So there we were, sitting on the floor in her living room, some rom-com playing on the TV in the background as we flipped through magazines. We idly chatted about school and boys and whatnot before Gou had suddenly snapped her issue of _Cosmo_ shut, her eyes alight in newfound excitement. I had been weary on asking her what she was thinking about but ended up doing so anyway. She had jumped to her feet, shouting her desire to play truth or dare. I decided to go along with it. After all, what else were we going to do? So we settled down across from each other and started the game.

It was innocent at first: asking about our past relationships, our worst fears, embarrassing moments and small dares like licking our foot or imitating a drunken cabbie in America. Then on Gou’s next turn, her posture changed. Her back straightened, her eyebrows drawing together in determination. I didn’t know what to expect of her abrupt change, but I certainly didn’t expect to be dared to skinny dip in Samezuka’s private indoor pool. I tried to convince her to give me another dare instead but she wouldn’t budge. She dragged me out of the house and towards the academy and now here we are.

Behind me, Gou shouted impatiently, “Go Emi- _chan_ , go!” And with that last command, I was brought back to the present. I sharply took in a breath, shut my eyes and pushed off the platform.

I was airborne for only a second before my body was engulfed by water. The chilly liquid caressed my skin, raising goosebumps all along my body. Despite this, I swam forward, feeling my long hair bellow around me, weightless. I stayed under, my legs pumping and my arms propelling me forward, until the need for air became too much. Curling into myself, I pushed my feet against the pool floor and broke the surface of the water.

Instantly Gou’s squeals flooded my ears. Smoothing my hair back and out of my face, I fluttered my eyes open, soaking in the moment. I had forgotten how much I loved swimming, feeling the water all around me, making me weightless. It had been far too long since I let go like this.

“Oh Emi- _chan_ , that was great! I didn’t know you could swim that fast!” Gou rushed towards the side of the pool. I watched her come closer, only now realizing how far I had swum. I was probably halfway down the lane, maybe more.

Swimming back and crossing the different lanes, I met Gou at the side of the pool, though I stopped a few feet away so I could float in the water. The burgundy haired girl crouched closer, my bundle of clothing held tight against her chest.

“See? It wasn’t that bad,” she teased me, shooting me a beaming smile.

Rolling my eyes, I tried not to smile, which proved useless. “Whatever.” I watched my arms move through the water, becoming rapidly aware that I was still in fact naked.

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other awkwardly before saying, “Uh Gou?”

“Hmm?” She smiled obliviously over at me.

“Could you, uh, not look at me right now?”

It took her a moment to understand what I was talking about, and when she did she instantly snapped back to her feet, her eyes looking away as she scratched the back of her neck, an embarrassed flush on her cheeks. “Oh! I didn’t mean—I wasn’t—I mean—”

She trailed off, obviously flustered.

“It’s alright,” I cut off her babbling. My cheeks grew hot in embarrassment. Looking anywhere but at my friend, I asked, “Uh, could you get me a towel?”

She nodded stiffly, sputtering out, “Right! Right! I can do that,” before dashing towards the back of the room towards the changing and shower rooms.

Once she was out of sight, I released a whoosh of air I was holding in. The water continued to lap at the walls from the ministrations of my arms. I watched the water ripple around me, relishing in the peace. Sure, the circumstances may be… strange, but it was still nice. I guess I now understand why people like skinny dipping so much. It’s liberating in a way to float in the water with nothing obstructing the contact. A succinct laugh escaped from me as I realized that I sound very much like Haru at the moment. Oh how proud the dolphin boy would be if he could hear my thoughts.

I let a small smile grace my face as I moved my arms to and fro, feeling the water follow my movements fluidly. The smell of chlorine wafted gently up my nose; a familiar, slightly comforting scent. I hummed in happiness, sinking further down so the water reached to my chin. There I stayed, calm, losing myself in the peaceful sensation of the pool, my eyes drifting closed, the dim lighting soothing away my nerves, the sound of footsteps growing closer and closer until the door to the pool clicked open….

Wait, the pool door opening?! My eyes snapped open, a gasp flooding from my lips as I shot up straight. In an instant, the lights were flipped on, the pool room abruptly illuminated. My eyes narrowed at the sudden brightness. After only a couple of second, I adjusted to the luster of the room. I looked over to the door only to lock onto a pair of wide crimson hues.

There, standing a few feet from the door, his finger still on the light switch, was Rin Matsuoka. I froze in place, a glacier dropping into the pit of my stomach as I stared at him. He, too, seemed frozen, eyes almost comically wide in shock, his jaw unhinged as his mouth fell slightly agape. My eyes darted along his whole body, taking in his maroon hair that was currently pulled back into a tiny ponytail, long legged black swimsuit bottoms with swirls of red adorning it, black Samezuka swim team jacket and a red bag swung across his shoulder. He must have been here for some solo practice time.

We continued to stare stupidly at one another, the reality of the situation seeping into our brains. Once it clicked that he was here, gazing back at me, while I stood _completely bare_ in the pool in front of him, I let out a squeak in complete mortification. Swimming as fast as lighting, I pressed my body against the side of the pool in an attempt to shield myself from his eyes. My face and ears burned as I gripped the tiled edge, my eyes wide in humiliation.

My actions seemed to snap Rin out of whatever spell he was under. He blinked once, twice before he stuttered out, “E-Emiko- _chan_?”

I sank deeper into the water, my nose cover by the tiles in front of me as I flushed a deeper red. “Uh-huh.”

“Wh-what are you d-doing here?” He fumbled out, his eyes never straying from me.

“Uh,” I bit my lip, my fingers gripping the edge tighter. I couldn’t look at him. My eyes zipped from wall to wall as I forced myself to speak. “I may have, um… sort of been….dared to skinny dip here?” My voice raised a few pitches as I spoke, tilting the end of my words to make it sound like a question.

“Dared?” He asked uneasily.

I nodded.

“By who?”

“Um,” I hesitated, not really keen on telling him that his younger sister was to blame. Ultimately, though, I shared the truth, “Gou.”

“Gou?” His eyes widened incredulously.

I nodded again. He gazed intently at me before he began to slowly walk over to me.

“My sister dared you to skinny dip in the Samezuka indoor pool?” Rin asked again as he tried to wrap his head around it all.

Another nod.

Stopping a few paces away from me, he looked down at me and asked, “Why the hell would she do that?”

I looked down at my fingers that were nervously drawing patterns into the while tile. My face felt like it was literally on fire. Still not looking up, I explained to him, “We were playing truth or dare.”

It was quiet for a moment. I didn’t dare take my gaze off of my fingers’ antics. Then Rin spoke up again, “Wait, you’re sleeping over at the house, aren’t you?”

“Yeah.” How’d he know that? Did Gou tell him? I wouldn’t doubt it. She’d said before that she texts Rin a lot even though he never answers. He still gets them though.

Before he got a chance to say anything more, though, there was a sudden commotion outside the pool room. Both of our heads snapped towards the door, listening to the sounds of many footfalls and voices, _male_ voices. They seemed to be drawing closer and closer to the door.

“That’s the swim team,” Rin whispered out in a terrified rush. “We have a midnight practice tonight.”

His words sent a wave of fresh panic down my spine. My god, I was absolutely nude in a pool and a dozen or so guys are just on the other side of that door about to come in here where they’ll see me in all my nakedness. I’m so _screwed_!

I clutched the pool’s edge for dear life, my breath coming out in shallow spurts as horror engulfed my whole body. My wide, terrified eyes looked up to Rin just as he turned his gaze to mine, our eyes locking in mutual fear. We stared at one another for a moment, silently dwelling in the terrible situation we found ourselves in, and then Rin was ripping off his jacket, his movements as fast as a cheetah.

“Hurry! Get out of the pool!” He whisper-shouted over at me.

I hesitated for a moment, scared because if I got out now, Rin would see me, _all_ of me. But if I don’t get out, then the whole swim team will come in and see me, which was way worse. So with that in mind, I pushed myself out of the pool, trying not to think about how Rin can now see my naked body as I rush into his embrace.

He wrapped the jacket around my form before backing up a bit and bending down in front of me to zip it all the way up. A shiver ran down my spine as the cold metal of the zipper fell against my skin. He stood up straight again and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me tight against his bare chest. Thank God Rin was taller than me, which resulted in his jacket falling down to my thighs. His eyes flittered around my body, making sure that everything was covered. Just as he came to the conclusion that everything was, the door slammed open, the sound of the swim team’s yells filling the air.

They all bumbled in, jostling and playfully shoving one another. Up front, leading the pack of teenagers was Momo and Nitori. Not too far behind them was Sosuke, who loomed over the others with a bored countenance. Momo has his arm slung around the Nitori as he loudly retold his senpai about how he had seen a pretty girl earlier today. The shorter, older boy listened halfheartedly while trying to stealthily remove Momo’s around from around him, an exasperated look plastered across his face. After a few seconds, though, he slumped his shoulders in defeat.

As the gray haired boy looked up, he was the first to notice Rin and me, and stopped in his tracks. Momo walked two steps forward before he felt his arm, which was still around Nitori; pull him back towards his stationary friend. The two seemed to create a road block as the other swimmers stopped behind them. Momo looked back at Nitori beseechingly but said guy continued to look at us.

“Matsuoka- _senpai_?” At Nitori’s words, everyone turned to look at us. Even Sosuke looked up, his eyebrows furrowing in curiosity. Seeing all of their eyes on us, I shuffled closer into Rin’s chest. In response, the maroon haired guy tightened his arms around me almost protectively. My left hand held tight onto Rin’s jacket to assure myself that it was still there and covering me while my right hand gripped the juncture between his shoulder and toned arm, out of sight from our onlookers.

Momo stared at his captain. When he caught sight of me, though, a huge grin spread across his face. “Emi- _chan_!” He exclaimed, bouncing forward. He only got a few paces closer, however, when Sosuke reached out and snagged the back of the excitable ginger’s jacket, tugging him back towards the group.

I shot Momo a shy, embarrassed smile of acknowledgement.

Sosuke’s eyes looked from Rin to me and back again for a while. Then he spoke in his deep voice, “Rin, Emiko- _chan_ , what’s this?”

I instinctively cowered closer into Rin. What were we going to tell them? We couldn’t very well tell them that truth. That’d be way too mortifying.

Before I could dwell any further, Rin piped up, his tone cool and even, “A private swimming lesson. Emi had asked me to teach her how to swim competitively.”

Nitori’s lips formed an ‘o’ shape, accepting Rin’s story while Momo nodded in understanding, that Cheshire grin still present on his face. Sosuke, however, looked back and forth between us for a little longer. I squeezed Rin’s arm as I watched his friend, my nails lightly grazing his skin.

“Go on and start warming up,” Rin commanded, taking on the captain role. “Sosuke,” he called out. Said male fixed his eyes on his friend. “You’re in charge of practice today.”

They stared at each other intensely, seeming to have a mental conversation. Then Sosuke gave a tiny nod before saying to the others, “Go warm up.”

Instantly, the swimmers dispersed. Some of them went to change while others found a spot to strip off their shirts and jump into the water, already in their swimsuits. Rin lifted his right arm from my form. Keeping his left arm around me, he guided me forward. Sosuke continued to watch us as we walked past him. Momo shouted out a goodbye before Rin and I stepped outside, the door clicking shut behind us.

The cool night air caressed my cheeks as we hurriedly walked away from the pool room, reminding me so much of how the air conditioning felt against my skin before I dived into the water. The concrete met my every step with a hard, rough touch. My right arm wrapped around Rin’s bare waist, still slightly shaky from what happened.

He marched on, guided me to another building not too far away. As if sensing my confusion, he explained softly in my ear, “We’re going to my dorm. It’s close by. You’ll be fine there.”

I nodded mutely, going along with him. Then a thought struck me, causing me to stop in my tracks, slapping my left hand against his chest and whisper-shouting, “Gou!”

He paused beside me. He looked down at me, red hues meeting hazel, as he asked, “What about her?”

“She was in there with me! She went into the changing room to get me a towel when you came!”

Rin’s eyes widened at the new information before they relaxed. He reached over and held my cheek in one hand, his other squeezing my shoulder and bringing me closer to him. He gazed into my eyes reassuringly, saying, “Don’t worry about her. There’s a back door in the changing room. Besides, I doubt she’s in any danger. Knowing my sister she’s probably fangirling about the boys’ muscles.”

I looked into his deep ruby gaze, a warm, fuzzy feeling invading my abdomen. Nodding dumbly, I let him rub his thumb across my cheek before pulling away. We continued to rush into his dorm building and up the stairs.

Once we rushed a particular door, he turned towards me and shyly asked, “May I?” while gesturing towards the jacket. I furrowed my eyes. Did he want me to take it off? Right now? In the middle of the hallway in front of him? When I didn’t answer, he reached out and stuck his fingers into the jacket pocket, pulled out some keys, and then turned back towards the door. I let out a silent breath when I realized that he just wanted to get his keys, not for me to strip.

Twisting the lock, he unlocked the door and opened it. Striding confidently into the room, he headed straight for the closet, not sparing me a single glance. I followed shyly behind him, my eyes scanning the dorm room curiously as I shut the door behind me with a soft click. Rin rummaged around the drawers and hangers, his brows drawn in concentration, searching for something. I watched him delve into his clothes for a second, seeing how the muscles in his back and shoulders flexed with his every movement. His arms were nice, muscular but not too much so. His long fingers deftly slid from one article of clothing to another, intent on their mission. As I watched them, I couldn’t help but think about how those digits felt against my cheek when he touched me before, how they’d feel if they explored the rest of my skin, trailing down my neck to my shoulders, stopping there a minute to rub the skin, then continue their trek down my back, my sides, my waist, pressing into my hipbones, and then lower…

Violently shaking my head, I tried to rope in my thoughts from traveling down the gutter. I couldn’t think of Rin like that. I wouldn’t. He’s Gou’s older brother, Haru’s and Makoto’s and Nagisa’s childhood friend, and captain of our rival swim team. I needed to get a grip on my hormones before they ran rampant.

Peeling my eyes from Rin’s form, I gazed around the room. It was clean, surprisingly, for two teenage boys. There were little to no décor. A wide, floor length window on the far wall, a desk filled with papers and whatnot next to a TV on the left side of the room across from a standard metal bunkbed, the closet found at the bed’s foot. I unconsciously walked further into the room, my fingers skimming over the wooden desk, my eyes skimming over the books lining it. I traced the frame of the TV, giving the chair a pat before turning to the bottom bunk. I grasped onto the ladder and just stared blankly at the covers and pillow, feeling as the adrenaline from earlier seeped out of my pores. It was slowly replaced by relief, embarrassment, and exhaustion. I guess when your heart runs a marathon, just a second away from a panic attack; it tends to tire you out.

I let out a silent sigh, resting my forehead against the cool metal of the ladder. The abrupt sound of the closet shutting made me look over.

Rin turned to me, a bundle of clothing in his hands. He stood there for a moment, awkwardly looking at me, and then said, “Uh, you can wear this for the night.”

He stuck his hand out, offering me the clothes. I wordlessly took them with a raised eyebrow.

“For the night?” I asked, pressing the clothes lightly into my chest.

The maroon haired teen rubbed the back of his neck cumbersomely, his eyes drifting to the floor. “Uh, yeah. It’s late and the house is a little ways away from here so I thought that you could just crash here.”

I tilted my head, absorbing his words. “What about Gou?”

He brought down his arm only to cross his arms. “She’ll be fine. She knows the route well, and I’m sure Momo would walk her home if need be.”

I couldn’t help but let out an amused breath through my nose in agreement, a small smile twining onto my face. “True, true.”

We both stood there, not looking at one another. I cleared my throat, making Rin’s rosy eyes flash up to focus on me. “Do you mind turning around so I can, you know,” I lifted up the clothes to emphasize my point.

He stared at me blankly for a moment before realization dawned on him. He let out a sharp, “Oh,” before spinning on his heel to face the other way. I watched his back for a moment to make sure he didn’t peek. When I concluded that he wouldn’t, I turned around myself and reached up for the jacket’s zipper.

It was uneasy, changing with Rin in the room, but I reminded myself that there was no other choice. Zipping the jacket open, I let it fall down my arms and onto the floor. Then I reached out and took the pair of navy blue boxers, slipping them on. I had to roll them up once or twice to better fit me before throwing the plain black t-shirt over my head. Just like the boxers, it was big on me too, reaching to my thighs much like the jacket had. I pulled my hair out from under the shirt before bending down and picking up the jacket, slipping it back on.

Once I was all changed, I pulled all of my hair to one side, feeling the damp, tangled locks as I turned around to see Rin’s back still facing me.

“You can turn around now,” I told him softly. My fingers combed through my hair in an attempt to get rid of some of the knots.

Rin did as I said, spinning around to face me. I felt his intense gaze appraise me, causing my cheeks to flush. I forced myself to focus on my hair so as to not look up and get caught in his stare.

I had hoped he would look away after a while. When no such thing happened, I cleared my throat and asked quietly, “What about your roommate?”

My companion finally eased up on his stare, shuffling his feet. “Sosuke won’t be in ‘til morning.”

Glancing over at the window, I said, “Last time I checked, it was morning.”

Out of my peripheral vision, I saw his lips quirk upwards. “He won’t be back until around the time we usually wake up,” he amended.

I nodded, pursing my lips slightly. “And what time would that be?”

Rin shook his head before approaching me. He reached his hand up and ruffled my hair. As he retracted his hand, I shot him a pout which made me let out a loud, curt laugh.

He shot me a small, almost invisible grin, before he walked behind me to the ladder, saying, “You can have my bed. I’ll take Sosuke’s.”

My eyes flashed up as I watched him begin to ascend the ladder. Without thinking, I grasped onto his arm, effectively stopping him. He looked down at me curiously.

Taking in an imperceptible gulp, I spoke softly, “Uh, no. I’ll take his bed. It wouldn’t be fair to kick you out of your own bed.”

He blinked at me. “It’s no problem. At least I’m not sleeping on the floor.”

“Still,” I persisted for some incomprehensible reason. “You should sleep in your own bed.”

Rin let out a tired sigh, his head tilting back slightly. “Emi- _cha_ —”

I cut him off, “No. I won’t kick you out of your bed. No if, ands, or buts.”

He met my resolute gaze, held it for a few seconds, and then let out a defeated sigh. “Fine.” With that, he went back down onto the floor and stepped back, gesturing for me to go up the ladder instead. I gave a slight nod and made my way forward. As I stepped up to the metal bars, Rin right next to me, the scent of chlorine with a splash of some sort of cologne touched my nose. It wasn’t unpleasant, in fact it was quite nice, comforting even. It reminded me of laying under a bundle of warm blankets on a soft bed, the sun’s rays resting on me. The feeling of floating on your back in the middle of a pool with no disturbances. When you sit outside on a pleasant day, back pressed against the bark of a tree, a nice book in hand, the leaves overhead casting such intricate designs against the pages, hair dancing in the breeze. It made the tense muscles in my shoulder blades unwind, a strange sensation of safety capturing my senses.

I took in a deep breath, trying to capture as much of the scent as I could before I placed my foot on the first bar and began climbing the bunk bed. Rin watched as I crawled onto the bed, plonking down underneath the blanket and resting my hair down on the pillow, shifting my body onto my side so I faced the room, my back to the wall. Then he walked over to the light, flipping it off, and went over to his bed, flipping down on the sheets. I listened as he wiggled around, getting comfortable. When he found a comfortable position, he settled down, plunging the room into silence.

I stared blankly at the wall across from me, allowing my heart time to calm itself. How did such a normal day end so crazily? Of course with my luck I’d be dared to skinny dip, get caught, and then almost get caught by even more people. At least Rin was there to help me, which brings about another question. Why? Why’d he help me? He could have let me suffer. It wasn’t like we were particularly close. I was his younger sister’s friend and a member of his friends’ swim team, that’s it. Sure, we talked a few times. I called him out when he was wallowing in his own sorrow once at the last prefectural. We saw each other whenever he came to Iwatobi or I went to Samezuka, or at parties. Other than that, though, there wasn’t much interaction. I don’t know what his favorite color is, though it might be red considering that the design on his swim jammers. Then again, I don’t know Gou’s favorite color either, or Makoto’s, or Rei’s, or Nagisa’s…

I guess it doesn’t matter. I’m just glad he did help. I don’t know what I would have done if he had just leaned back and let it all play out. Looks like I owe him one now.

Shifting a little, I pressed myself closer into the pillow. I closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep.

One minute.

Two minutes.

Three minutes.

Four.

I began to lose count of the time ticking by as I lay there, wide awake. My mind just wouldn’t shut off. It kept replaying tonight’s events over and over. Momo and Nitori were so innocent whereas Sosuke and some of the others weren’t. I could only imagine what it looked like. Rin, standing there shirtless, cradling me close to his body, his jacket wrapped around my form, our fronts pressed tightly against one another. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if they thought that we were in the middle of some hot make out session when they barged in and were now hooking up while they practiced for the next meet.

I rolled my eyes at my thoughts. I would say it was just boys being boys but I know quite a lot of girls that would have thought that same thing.

Letting out a breath through my nose, I buried my face further into the pillow and tried to fall asleep again. Alas, my efforts results in the same restlessness as before. My feet rubbed against the sheets as they usually did when I tried to catch some z’s, puncturing the silence with the rustling it caused the blanket to make. I stilled my actions, not wanting to wake Rin. But what if he wasn’t sleeping yet? Was he as edgy as me?

Before my brain could catch up with my mouth, I found myself softly whispering out, “Rin?” I instantly bit my lip, hoping I didn’t just wake him up.

A few seconds passed before I heard a gentle voice answer, “Yeah?”

“Are you awake?” I wanted to smack myself. Of course he’s awake! He just answered back, didn’t he?

“Yeah.” It was quiet for a moment. “You can’t sleep,” he stated instead of asked.

I nodded against the pillow. “Yeah.”

There was the sound of rustling in the bunk underneath me. After a moment, he whispered, “Come here.”

Like a little kid following their parents’ orders, I obediently crawled out of the bunk and down the ladder. Why I was complying so easily? I’ll just chalk it up to gratitude for his aid earlier and exhaustion.

My feet padded against the floor as I walked away from the ladder and closer to Rin’s bunk. He had moved closer to the wall, the blanket pulled back to expose the sheets in a welcoming gesture. I looked into his eyes for assurance, and when he nodded, I deftly slinked onto the bed. As I lay down on my side, facing him, Rin reached out and flipped the blanket over to rest all the way up to my shoulders, shrouding me in warmth. I unconsciously let out a hum of pleasure, snuggling deeper into the soft sheets, my nose nuzzling into the pillow. My eyes drifted close as chlorine and cologne engulfed my senses, the same scent from before. It was Rin. He was what smelt so nice. I guess after spending so long in the water he would end up smelling like chlorine. And I don’t know what cologne he uses, but he should never switch. The combination of the two was so nice, so soothing. I just hope I don’t become addicted.

After relishing in the bliss of the scent, my eyes fluttered open a little only to notice a pair of crimson orbs staring right at me. It was then that I noticed that the bed wasn’t the biggest. With Rin’s built, he already took up a lot of space, but he had pressed himself against the wall so as to give me more room. It was a sweet thought. I couldn’t help but notice, though, that he looked awfully uncomfortable.

So with the haze of sleep clouded my conscience, I reached out and tugged at his arm. Rin allowed me to do so, watching as I wrapped it around my waist. “Relax. Get comfy. Your bed. You be comfy,” I mumbled out bits and pieces of full sentences. He blinked at me, but I didn’t bother trying to see what emotions were swirling in those deep red hues. My hand slithered to his waist and pulled him closer, away from the wall and, incidentally, towards me. I sleepily pressed myself flush against him, my legs entangling themselves with his. My arm stayed slung around his waist, my hand trailing up to press flat against his back. I cuddled into his chest, loving how heat radiated off of him, warming my chilled skin. My leg rubbed against his, basking in the warmth as my left hand came up and rested under my head beneath the pillow. His body heat combined with his soft skin, the soft blankets and pillow, and scent was more than enough to drag me closer and closer to unconsciousness.

After a few beats, Rin wrapped both of his arms around my waist, his fingers brushing against my skin were the shirt had risen up. He held me gently yet firmly, his chin resting against the crown of my head as he settled down against me. The way he held me close was sweet, comforting, almost intimate, though he didn’t seem to mind. I definitely didn’t. I felt safe, laying there in his embrace, like nothing could hurt me; rip me away from this nice feeling. Though I would normally overanalyze this feeling, right now, at this moment, I just couldn’t bring myself to. Not with all this warmth, how comfortable I was, and the sense of sleep creeping closer and closer and closer…

 

ooOoo

 

The birds’ chirps reached my ears, singing to me a lovely morning song. My fingers twitched, grazing something warm and soft yet hard all in one as I grew more and more conscious of my surroundings with every passing second. There was something draped across my waist. It was heavier than a comforter but not unpleasant. Overlaying on it was a thin pressure, like a sheet or blanket. Slowly batting my eyes open, I could see a wall, the sun’s rays splashing against the plain white. It also illuminated something bright out of the corner of my eye. Shifting my gaze, I looked at the maroon tresses, trailing down the messy locks to see Rin’s face…

Wait. Rin’s face?! My eyes budged, my face snapping back, wide awake. Sure enough, there, in front of me, was Rin. His face was pressed into the pillow, his expression calm, his eyebrows relaxed, his mouth slightly open with little snores escaping. It was actually quite attractive, way more than his usual indifferent face. The only thing that might make it even more attractive would be if he was smiling. Now that would be a sight.

Trailing my eyes downward, I gazed over his bare chest that moved up and down with every breath he took, and his toned arm that was wrapped securely around my waist. I could feel my legs ensnared with his, caught in a complex yet contented system. The blanket lay haphazardly over our forms, half of it bunched up and falling off the side of the bed.

As I took all of this in, my heart beat warm and fast in my chest, I recalled the events of yesterday. School was boring as usual, Gou’s begging, swim practice, more of Gou’s begging, me finally giving in, going home, packing a bag, going over to Gou’s place, playing truth or dare, skinny dipping…

My face flushed as I remembered the look on Rin’s face as he caught me in the pool. Then the rest of the swim team came. He helped me out and took me back to his dorm because it was so late. I couldn’t sleep so he let me sleep with him. He probably used to do the same thing with Gou when they were younger. Yet this seemed different, way more intimate than something you’d do with a sibling.

The light blush I was sporting spread across my nose as I continued to gaze at the shark boy in front of me. My hand reached up, my fingers gingerly and hesitantly brushing his messy bangs out of his eyes. They lingered at his temple, feeling his skin. All throughout this he didn’t stir. He just continued to lay there, serene, lightly snoring. It was cute, something I thought I’d never categorize Rin as. I wonder if anyone else had seen this side of him before. A small part of me, the selfish part, hoped no one had and that I was the only one.

I couldn’t help the smile that glided onto my face. My fingers traced his cheekbone, rubbing his cheek gently. Rin let out a quiet groan and, still asleep, tightened his grip around my waist, pulling me closer into his chest. He nuzzled his nose into the crook of my neck, his warm breath fanning across my collarbone. My smile quirked just a little higher at his actions.

I ran my fingers threw his claret hair, massaging his scalp ever so slightly. As I did so, he cuddled closer to me, holding me firmer but not tight enough to hurt. I basked in his embrace, my heart thumping heavily.

A sudden click sounded from behind me, causing me to jump. Whirling my head around, I caught sight of Sosuke standing in front of the closet, his hand retracting from the handle. He met my gaze with his teal orbs, as indifferent and nonjudgmental as always. A blush heated up my face the longer we stared at one another.

Finally, Sosuke broke eye contact. He walked over to the desk, placing his bag down beside it. With his back still facing me, he said, “It’s eight o’clock. Most of the people in the dorm building are still asleep. It’s the most opportune to leave if you don’t want to be seen.”

I blinked a couple of times at him before saying, “Oh, uh, thanks.”

He looked over at me, gave a brief nod, and then focused on something on the desk. I looked back down at Rin, who was still nestled into me. I ran my fingers through his hair one last time before reaching down and cautiously removing his arms around me. Surprisingly, he didn’t put up a fight. Gently putting his arms down at his sides, I slide out of the bed, slipping on the blanket on the floor in the process. Luckily, I caught myself before I fell on my butt.

Standing up, I straightened out the shirt, boxers, and jacket I was wearing. Pushing my messy hair out of my face, I looked up to see Sosuke staring at me. I glanced back down at my attire then back up at him, my blush getting worse.

“Uh, yeah, this looks bad,” I fumbled out. “But I swear it’s not.” I told him, my hands braced in front of me as if to ward off his incorrect thoughts.

He merely raised a brow at me. “I didn’t say anything.”

“But you were thinking it,” I pointed accusatorily at him. He shot me a mischievous smirk and went back to whatever it was he was focusing on.

I walked up beside him, searching the desk until I found a piece of paper and a pen. Grabbing them, I wrote a quick note for Rin. When I was done, I put the cap back on the pen and placed the note on the mattress beside the sleeping Matsuoka.

All while I was doing this, Sosuke watched me from the corner of my eye. I didn’t bother pointing it out to him. What was the point? We both knew it so there was no reason to say it out loud.

As I padded over to the door to leave, I noticed how cold the floor was. Looking down at my bare feet, I mumbled, “Shoot. I forgot I don’t have shoes on.”

Behind me, Sosuke snorted. I shot him the finger, grumbling under my breath, “Guess I’ll have to go barefoot. Oh Gou, you are so gonna get it.”

Casting the tall swimmer one last look, I said, “Well I guess I’ll see you later.”

He nodded, and with that I opened the door and left Rin’s dorm. As I walked down the sidewalk, making my way home, I couldn’t help but reminisce on the feeling of waking up in Rin’s arms. Actually, it was all I could think about. Not how dirty my feet were getting, not the stares of people on the train or the whereabouts of Gou at the moment, only the warmth and safety Rin’s embrace offered. It’s a mystery how something so disconcerting like skinny dipping could turn into seeing the soft side of one Rin Matsuoka. I’m starting to wonder if I should scream at Gou for her dare gone sour or if I should thank her for the opportunity to get to know her older brother.

As I stepped off the bus a few minutes away from my house, I decided that I’d settle on giving her a slap upside the head as a medium between the two. After all, I’m sure she doesn’t want to know everything that happened like, for example, that I ended up cuddling her brother. Now that’d just be awkward.

Yes, I nodded my head. I was going to give her a slap to the back of the head and never play truth or dare with her again. And hopefully the next time I see Rin, it won’t be all weird.

 

ooOoo

 

When Rin woke up, it was already past noon. The sun was high in the sky, shinning onto his eyelids. He squeezed his eyes tight from the uncomfortable sensation, his hand rushing up to rub his eyes and block the light. A groan slipped past his lips as he sat up, trying to wipe the sleep away.

“Rough night?”

Rin looked up from in between his fingers to see his friend and dorm mate Sosuke sitting leisurely at the desk chair. He shot the burgundy haired swimmer a smirk before going back to his writing. Said swimmer grimaced, grunting out a, “Shut up.”

Placing a hand on his forehead, Rin rested his elbow on his knee and stared blankly before him. Memories of last night flooded his mind. Going to the pool to get ready for the midnight swim practice only to find Emiko, his little sister and childhood friends’ friend, naked in the pool. He had a hard time looking away from the sight, nevertheless open his mouth and say words that weren’t a seduction. Then his teammates showed up and he had to get her out of there. There was no way in hell he was going to let those perverted dumbasses see her naked. Selfishness had bubbled inside him, along with possessiveness and protectiveness. He didn’t want anyone else but him to see her in such undress, and he couldn’t just let them upset her like that. So he had gotten her out of the pool and, while trying not to fantasize about doing many things to her while she was soaked from head to toe, he wrapped her up in his swim team jacket, making sure to zip it all the way up so those bakas didn’t see a single thing.

When his team finally entered, he came up with a quick lie to explain the issue. Then Sosuke shot him that “I-know-something-else -is-going-on” look, mentally sizing up the circumstances. Rin had tried his best to assuage his good friend to back off the subject while also trying to not focus on the feel of Emiko pressed up against him with only his jacket separating them.

They hightailed it out of there and he had rushed them to his dorm. He still couldn’t believe that his sister, his _baby sister_ , had dared her friend to do something as exposing as skinny dip, though he certainly wasn’t going to complain. Now if anyone else had been there before him and saw her would have been a whole other subject.

He convinced her to stay for the night with a half-assed excuse that he was surprised she fell for. Then he gave her some clothes to wear, and when he turned around to see her wearing his clothes, he was awestruck. She looked good in his clothes, _damn_ good. He figured out that he wanted to see her in his clothes more often.

Then when he tried to go to bed, Emiko was being stubborn. She wouldn’t let him take the top bunk, instead saying that he should sleep in his own bed. He gave into her, since there was no point in arguing, and they went to bed. No matter how much he counting sheep or shuffled around, though, he couldn’t go to sleep. He just kept thinking about Emiko. Was she comfortable? Will the whole situation shake her up so much that she will have nightmares? What is she thinking right now? Does she resent him for finding her? For seeing her so…bare?

She ended up cutting off his worrying by talking with him. Rin didn’t know what he was thinking when he invited her into his bed, but he didn’t take it back, and as she settled down next to him, he was glad he didn’t. She then did something he definitely did not think she’d do: she pulled him into a cuddling session. He still doesn’t know what to think of it. Maybe she was just exhausted and didn’t know what she was doing. Whatever it was, he didn’t fight her. He had embraced her, taking in the chlorine scent of her hair. He expected it since she was just in the pool, but there was also something else there. It smelt like rain, water lilies, white grapefruit and mint. It was a weird combination yet so lovely at the same time. He couldn’t stop breathing it in deeply, relishing in it, feeling it calm him.

That was the last thing he remembered before falling asleep beside her.

Beside her…

Eyes widening, he looked sharply to his side, confirming his assumption. She wasn’t there. He was alone. There, in her place, though, was a sheet of paper. With drawn brows, he reached out and delicately picked it up, his eyes skimming over the words written there. When he finished, he couldn’t help the smile pulling at his lips. Tilting his head to the side, he cracked his neck and stood up to get ready for the day. He needed to train since he didn’t get to last night. As he walked towards the closet, the letter floated back onto the bed, the words facing up to the ceiling:

_Rin,_

_Thanks for everything. I owe you big time. I'll return your clothes at the next meet._

_Until then,_

_Emi_

_P.S. I think Sosuke thinks we did something...more, if you catch my drift. If I were you, I'd be prepared to be teased. Just saying. Good luck._

 


End file.
